Tonga — Capital, Flag and Country Facts

Explore Tonga: capital Nukuʻalofa, population, flag, geography, languages, history and culture.

Tonga is in Oceania. Its capital is Nukuʻalofa.

Climate

Tropical; modified by trade winds; warm season from December to May; cool season from May to December

Mostly flat coral islands with some volcanic islands; raised limestone formations

Tonga is the only Pacific island nation that was never colonized by a foreign power.

The 2022 Hunga Tonga volcanic eruption was heard as far away as Alaska, over 9,000 km away.

Tonga is one of the first places in the world to see the new day, just west of the International Date Line.

950: Tu'i Tonga Empire established, becoming a major Polynesian power

1616: Dutch navigators become the first Europeans to sight the islands

1845: King George Tupou I unifies Tonga and establishes a constitutional monarchy

1900: Tonga becomes a British protected state while retaining sovereignty

1970: Full independence restored from British protection

2022: Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcanic eruption creates the largest atmospheric explosion in decades